Not The BBC News: 18 October 2014

It has been reported that a ceasefire has been agreed between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram; among other conditions, the remaining 219 schoolgirls who were kidnapped six months ago are to be released. The agreement follows high level talks between the governments of Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad about how to deal with Boko Haram.

Mosab Hasan Yousef, the son of the leader of Hamas who worked as an agent for Israeli intelligence, was interviewed on Channel 4 news about his life.  The questioning was fairly pointed: the opening question was “Are you a traitor?” and the second was “You say a lot in your book about Hamas brutality but little about Israeli brutality. Why not?” His answers explained that he was recruited into Israeli intelligence while he was in jail; he agreed to it because he intended to become a double agent working ultimately for Hamas, but what he saw in jail, including Hamas killing its own people, made him change his mind. He commented that Israel is not merely a Jewish state, but includes Christians and people of other religious groups and none, just like any modern state; and he concluded by saying the only solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is the Biblical mandate to “love your enemies.”

The story that I previously reported about a  Canadian woman who applied for a job with a  Norwegian wilderness tourist company, and received a reply that strongly discriminated against her Christian beliefs, appears to be largely a hoax. She did indeed receive the reply as described, but the ‘Norwegian’ company has apparently made exaggerated claims and improper suggestions to others who have contacted it; the photos on its website seem to be copied from elsewhere; and of all the people whose names are associated with the company, the only one whose identity can be verified is the registrant of the website, who lives in Whistler, British Columbia.

The founder of XXXChurch in the USA, which ministers particularly to people in the porn industry, has been interviewed by ABC news alongside a porn star who he has become friends with over the years. The two disagree about the value and effect of porn, and have done so publicly in various debates; however, the porn star has begun directing girls who want to leave the industry to XXXChurch, and when he was recently rushed to hospital for emergency heart surgery, he called the pastor and asked him to pray. The porn star now says, “I think I’m a product of successful prayers. I had experiences that definitely made me believe in God … there’s no other explanation.”

Two well-known Christian figures are about to tour the UK to speak about God’s heart for poverty and justice. Graham Kendrick is a singer/songwriter and Tony Campolo is a preacher with a “social gospel” emphasis. The tour starts in Norwich this Wednesday (22^nd October); other dates that are close to various groups of my friends include Winchester on the 23^rd; Stafford on the 26^th; Rawtenstall on the 29^th; Harrogate on the 30^th; Arbroath on the 31^st; Coleraine on November 2^nd; and Guildford on the 6^th.

Yet another Biblical film is to be released this year. This time it’s ‘Moses’, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Christian Bale. It is to be released in December, and a trailer is now available online. The initial screenshots look similar to those from the film “Noah,” and Bale says that the film will focus on the “complex character of a troubled and tumultuous man.”

In sport, Sheffield United find themselves in a controversy over whether to re-employ their former striker, Ched Evans. Evans has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for rape. Some say that he has done his time and should be allowed to re-integrate into society; others say that footballers are high-profile role models and to take him back would send the wrong message. The debate has become so heated that, when TV’s Judy Finnegan suggested Evans might be treated more leniently because the rape was non-violent, some Twitter users threatened to rape Finnegan’s 27 year old daughter.

Also in football, one of Norway’s substitutes for their European Championship match against Bulgaria was attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard, the youngest player ever to play in a European Championship match. Odegaard, whom plays for StrØmsgodset IF, will not be 16 until mid-December.

Also in the European Championship, there was a good news story from the end of the match between Poland and Scotland in Warsaw. As is normal at major matches, the home fans were given time to leave the stadium first, and then the away fans were shepherded out en masse. But after this match, many Polish fans waited to applaud the Scottish fans out of the stadium, to thank them for the excellent atmosphere that they created during the match. The game finished 2-2.

And finally, when a woman from Columbus, Ohio drove a friend to pick up a prescription, but was accused of pulling a gun on her friend and robbing her, police issued a ‘wanted’ description using a mugshot from a previous arrest. The suspect phoned police to complain that the mugshot was unflattering and demanded it be taken down, so police invited her to visit them to discuss the issue. She actually showed up at a police station and was promptly arrested; she did, however, get her wish to have a new mugshot taken.